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Proud to be a Rotarian

A boy has his pinkie marked to indicate he has received the polio vaccine. Photo courtesy of Dino Marzaro

Dino Marzaro, president of the Rotary Club of Quebec, Quebec City, Canada

I first discovered Rotary in 1998, when I joined the Rotary Club of Quebec City. For the past six years, I have tried to take part in a polio immunization trip every year, with the latest this July to Pakistan.

From 12-22 July, a team of three Rotarians from Quebec City, Canadian polio survivor and Rotarian Ramesh Ferris, and four Rotarians from the United States took part in immunization efforts in Karachi. Aziz Memon, chair of the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee, and Shaikh Jalaluddin, governor of District 3271, took care of our team from the minute we arrived. All eight members stayed together as a family, it was like we had known each other for a long time. But you know, it is easy if you share the same goal, to End Polio Now.

On the ground, we are moved by what we see. There are still cases of polio. The challenges are the same in many of the endemic countries: fighting myths about the vaccine, maintaining the cold chain, reaching all children with the drops.

While in Karachi, we watched a wonderful video Pakistan Rotaractors have made to promote polio vaccinations. Thanks to all the Rotarians in the world who are helping make a difference. We are united with the same goal of Peace Through Service.

I am proud to be a member of Rotary, one of the largest volunteer organization in the world. With your help, we will win the fight against polio.

5 thoughts on “Proud to be a Rotarian”

I love the effort you Rotarians put into this cause for a country not even close to your origin. The problems facing Pakistan today are countless, ignorance being the topmost. The biggest barrier Pakistan has to overcome if they are ever going to get rid of Polio or actually an epidemic/health situation is for all Pakistanis to be aware of the actual issue. There are so many myths and so much false knowledge surrounding Polio, Aids, Tuberculosis and Cancer that people often exacerbate the problem instead of helping to solve it!